A Letter From The Publisher

Posted
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 12:53 am

By STUART RICHNER

Dear friends, neighbors and colleagues,

First and foremost, I hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe in these uncertain times. Please be sure to heed the advice of health care experts at CoronaVirus.gov, and to check in with your neighbors who are the most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus (i.e., people older than 60, or those with underlying health issues).

I wanted to update you on what we at the Herald Community Newspapers — the publisher of The Riverdale Press — are doing to ensure that we continue to provide you with real news and verified facts that you can trust as we confront — together — the challenges imposed by the coronavirus. Local journalism organizations, like The Press, remain the most reliable, trusted and prolific source of news that affects your family’s daily life. With the safety of our staff in mind, we are all focused on serving the informational needs of the people who live and work in the northwest Bronx without interruption.

For readers

Our team of editors and reporters are on the phones 24/7 with local elected officials, community institutions, nonprofit organizations and small businesses to bring you the most up-to-date and relevant coronavirus-related information. All of the latest coronavirus stories — including school closings — can be found at RiverdalePress.com/ coronavirus.

We have also set up a dedicated voice mailbox and email address where you can submit tips, suggest issues you’d like for us to investigate, and tell us about how the coronavirus is affecting the lives of you and your family. The Press’s dedicated coronavirus hotline is (718) 543-6065, Ext. 308, or by email at coronavirus@riverdalepress.com.

Lastly, you can subscribe to our new daily email newsletter that brings all of the latest local coronavirus news straight to your inbox. Send your email to coronavirus@riverdalepress.com, and we’ll get you added.

For small businesses

You are the lifeblood of our communities. We know that shutdowns and quarantines have been devastating to many of you. To support local businesses, The Press is offering unprecedented discounts on our marketing products and services. Please reach out to your existing account executive, or contact sales manager Cheryl Ortiz at (718) 543-6065 Ext. 379, or cortiz@riverdalepress.com, for more information.

We are also offering all local businesses a free announcement, which will appear both in your local Press print edition and online. This brief announcement can be related to any important notices, changes or events that you wish to share about your business. You can submit your announcement online at coronaeditor@riverdalepress.com.

For community leaders

We are partnering with community leaders —such as elected officials, school administrators and health care providers — to disseminate their updates to The Press’s audience. If you have a message that serves the public interest and would like The Press to share it, please reach out to (718) 543-6065, Ext 326 or coronaeditor@riverdalepress.com.

Finally, please don’t forget that we, too, are a small business. If you value our year-round coverage of your community, please consider supporting us by subscribing at RiverdalePress.com/subscribe. Already a subscriber? Consider buying a subscription for a family member or friend.

Since my parents started publishing community newspapers in 1964, it has been our company’s unwavering mission to provide you with the best local journalism around. To that end, we always welcome your feedback on how we can better serve you and your community.

Follow all the local coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and how it relates to your neighborhood at RiverdalePress.com/coronavirus. Sign up for our newsletter to get daily updates on coverage and closing by sending your email address to newsroom@riverdalepress.com. And finally, keep up with all the latest closures, postponements and what you can still take part in with our continuously updated list by clicking here.

So many words have been written and spoken about Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer since all four feet, seven inches of her first walked onto the public stage in 1980. She’s lived just south of us in Washington Heights since well before she was known outside her circle of friends. And many of her family — including a daughter and grandchildren — call Riverdale home.